Reaper shows Crowley, Jake, and Casper around town, showing his favourite candy shop, Restaurant, and park. Most of all he showed them the sacred skeleton tree, an ancient tree full of history. The light breeze brushes against the dead Red Gum tree. The tree Creaks and groans the rubbing branches giving an effect of grinding bones. Playing a melody from an irritating xylophone. Near the stream of Damned Souls, the water sloshing against the river bank as if hopeless souls are trying to claw their way out.
"So what's this place?" Crowley asks looking at the surroundings of the barren land scape with only just a lone tree and a river that stretches out to the horizon snaking along the red sand.
"my favourite place, welcome to the skeleton tree," Beams Reaper.
"ah music to my ears,"
"I hate skeletons, the only reason I like this tree is due to its unfathomable history,"
"I know the history of this tree indeed I do as clear as day. my son planted this seed during his let's say life journey experience." States Jake with a hint of pride.
"wahhhh you had a son this is new starboy, or should I say star..."
"don't you dare. Besides It's not as if I knew him that much, I died when he was just a baby. I just know that this is the tree he planted as a offering to the Damned souls, so they would have something to witness as they cross by." a single tear glitters down jakes cheek, sombrely smiles.
"that's sad, do you want to talk about it," Reaper asks innocently.
"you don't have to, I know how hard it is to lose someone, I lost my brother."
"thanks Crowley, yeah Reaper I do want to talk about it. Casper I will need your help,"
"what for?"
"well to tell a story of course," states Jake as if it was obvious. Jake sees Casers confusion and whispers something to him. Casper shakes his head. "fine I guess I'll tell the story, if I can't convince you I'll just have to tell it myself."
"sorry it's just to soon for me to talk about that,"
"what's wrong," pipe up Reaper.
"Jake wanted me to talk about something I told him on our walk here."
"oh it's about that, yeah that's tough,"
"It will help with me telling the story," Jake try's to encourage, Casper shakes his head sorrowful, not in front of the kid his abysmal eyes say.
"is it bad?"
"it's about his friend who passed away there was this tree they played around that looks like this. Anyway my story is going to be hard to talk about, or I could tell you some good stuff about the trees life. I studied it very clearly. In return you have to tell me something Reaper, that is why did your people stop dancing and why the tree is called the skeleton tree. For what I found it was called Karra by the Kaurna people, who used it for medicinal properties like coughs and colds."
Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.
"you said it was an offering to the souls, why?"
Why indeed? Is it because this very type of tree saved his sons life once, by using the sap to heal his wounds after a fight with his shadow self. The tree then healed his soul, as he sat under it listening to the life around him. So when he eventually fell into death's grace he came across this miserable town and the dreadful river, he decided to bring a little life by planting this seed that was precious to him. Then with hope he continued on his journey. So how did this tree come to be the skeleton tree.
If trees could talk. Then this would be the story of a lone Red Gum next to the river of Damned Souls. Jake tells the story and everyone sits quietly, listening to every word.
It starts off with a seed being planted, the first sprouts of leaves welcome the touch of endless sunshine. Everything was quiet for a while. No birds, No insects, nothing just the still breeze and the beating sun. The slosh of water nearby will be peaceful, sometimes it will just be disturbing knowing that this all there is.
A curious person sits under the tree starts coughing and then reaches for one of the new leaves crushing it in their hand and breathe the scent in. The next day they come and sits down in the shade relishing in the peace and quite, the tree starts to feel pride. Pride that there is someone who appreciates the lone Red Gum. before the tree knows it more people come over they start to chat and laugh under its cool shade. Their laughter was like music to the tree, and rustles leaves in pride. When the trees limbs fall off they will light the dead limbs on fire and sit around the fire telling stories. When the tree bleeds they will use the sap for their own wounds, when the tree grows new leaves they will use some for the oil to cure coughs and colds. All this gives pride not shame for the tree feels useful and not alone, the tree feels like the people are the Karra friends.
One day as a joke one of the people started dancing to one of the camp fire songs that the would occasionally sing, the wind started dancing and the trees limbs started swaying. Everything seemed to dance in harmony. The people felt this connection and from then on they started dancing around the tree with the wind. It took a while for the song and dancing to sync with each other. eventually they got the right movements. When everyone started dancing together the tree felt the life energy within itself boost up and a bit expel to others all glowing together. They accidentally created the dance of life. For the first time the people who were actually skeletons felt more alive than ever. So every year the exact time at the tree they would dance to the song of life.
However a sickness appeared in the tree and eventually leaves grew yellow from their greyish green eventually dying off leaving the tree bare as a skeleton. So the people stopped dancing around it and fell into depression, fearing they will get sick they started wearing beak masks. They named the tree skeleton tree after it's death.
"You mentioned the song of life what does it do?" Reaper asks curiously.
"It's a forgotten dance that allows spirits to witness life for a moment. People in other realities do it to summon spirits,"
"other realities?"
"yeah it's complicated. I can't talk about it, there's a spell that makes me not able to talk much in detail about it,"
"Wow so this is just sad, the tree must feel really lonely," Crowley says patting the tree.
"It will be ok." Casper says "That's just what happens."
" We stopped dancing because it died, and everyone feels like it would upset the ancestors to dance around the dead tree. We call it the skeleton tree because it's as bare as a skeleton and makes the same noise a skeleton does." Explains Reaper.
"Thank you that clears up a lot for me,"
They all sit in silence, Reaper asks what they are doing next and they tell him they are heading to the city of Fashion Ghosts. Reaper asks if he can tag and the the three agree to letting him join. They leave the town after saying goodbye to the skeleton tree wondering if someone will ever dance around the tree again. Off to the bridge of regrets along the endless river of Damned souls.